Yeah, December was fucking cold, but holy shit!!! 3240 kwh???? Plus, January has yet another rate increase. 90% of that is at $0.363/kwh - tier 4, let us bleed you white because you dare to heat your home or have electronics.

Tier 4 is 200% of baseline and over, but the fucking baseline is set for a single person in an efficiency apartment, with one small fridge, one dinky tv, and no gadgets or electric heaters. Not an old victorian with a one lung furnace, several computers, cell phones, tablets, stereos, multiple fridge/freezers, and 5 people!

I have hated their ever-shrinking baseline since I was in a two bedroom apartment. I haven't been under baseline since I was in a one bedroom with no TV and a small fridge by myself. Then my bill actually showed a small uptick when I used my freaking sewing machine. That was 30 years ago, and the fuckery has only gotten worse.

I will be so glad when I get the solar installed. That will knock down the top half of my bill. The utilities aren't liking solar power much, it eats into their obscene profits. They can't gouge as much at the top tier, fuck you in the ass without lube, rate.

I hope you arent going with the solar guys who are on the radio.Those guys rent you the panels, and you only get credit for part of the power you generate.

If you buy the system outright (more expensive) but you get ALL the benefits and you have the ability to modify the system.

We have a comms facility on top of local mount6aintop where we are actually turning a small profit on the power we make for PGE.In fact we can coast for a month with no solar, no wind no diesel and no utility and that includes leaving the fridge running.

This is because we have batteries installed.

PGE isnt being allowed to build any more plants out here, so they have to cut demand by raising prices.

The next thing thats going to happen is different billing rates for different times of day. This is where batteries come in. You can smooth out your peaks in the expensive part of the day, and thats why you DONT want these companies that advertise off the radio.